One last point to see before we conclude this discussion is the association of the children to their true parents. We had looked into this before, but we had done so without a connection to the Quran. Now, we are going to make that final touch.
"Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers - then they are [still] your brothers in religion and those entrusted to you..." (33/5)
"O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah , nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs, nor will they disobey you in what is right - then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (60/12)
Both verses quoted above underline the fact that associating the children with their true lineage is important in the sight of Allah. Then, creating the conditions that are going to lead to the violation of this principle is clearly against the instructions of God. This brings us to the conclusion that a polyandrous family setting before the development of the modern medical technology would not be acceptible. However, with the advent of the genetic testing technologies, such confusion can be eliminated, and so, a proper association of lineage is possible even in case of polyandry. Therefore, from the perspective of these verses, too, one can not claim a prohibiton to polyandry.
And with this, I would like to add my final comment. Throughout this series, my intention was to scrutinize the case of polyandry from a religious perspective, because when criticizing Islam, people say that while allowing men to have 4 women, there is no similar permission to women to have 4 men. As a general rule, if something is explicitly decreed by God, whether the wisdom behind it is obvious or not, whether we like it or not, the believers accept it as is (33/36). However, this attitude does not keep the believers from studying the wisdom therein. So, if the result of my study indicated that indeed only men are allowed to have more than one spouse, I would take a course accordingly. Yet, I saw that the case of "prohibition of polyandry" is more cultural than religious. More so, in our time. Therefore, I am not going to claim that polyandy is allowed, but I am going to say that there is no clear ban of polyandry. When there is no clear ban, the job is on the hearts and minds. It is their duty to show us a path pleasing to Allah, and it is the individuals' job to make to appropriate choice.
Also note that, in the context of Islam, neither polygyny nor polyandry is aimed at idolizing sexual desires. The ultimate aim is conducting a life of dignity and chastity towards God. And doing that inherently requires an honest admission of human nature in its fullest extent. Allah knows best.
First, I would like to thank you for your time and courage on tackling such a tabooed issue. I liked the style of writing, which left me with cliff hangers in a non creative writing piece.
ReplyDeleteIn this study, we can agree on a conclusion that it's not explicitly prohibited. however, the following line "When there is no clear ban, the job is on the hearts and minds." makes me say these:
In chapter 4 we established that the aim of marriage is not child making, but it's another form of reaching God. evidence on this is that the marriage of sterile people is not nullified. During reading the last 3 parts, this idea came to me which I want to share. Islam as a religion aims at a balanced way of life. be it at eating, feasting, worshipping or any kind of activity. (2:143). So I believe that a marriage in Islam also should be balanced. be it social and financial status, or other forms of context within a marriage. one I would like to highlight is the balance between leniency and toughness inside the Muslim home.
we can agree on that women are more lenient than men. now (assuming a sex free world) let's imagine situations of a household with more than one wife, and a household with more than one husband. how would the balance would be set? which one less tumultuous. Also, let's not forget than God almighty warned mankind, within the verses of allowance of polygamy, that no matter how they tried, they will never be just in their polygamous marriages.
I guess I'm losing the plot, but assuming that you know how I talk, you will understand what I mean to say.
Thank you for your attentive analysis. As I understand it, the issue you are bringing to the table is about the "how" of the issue, not about its legitimacy. When that is the case, the characters of the individuals come to the forefront. After all, just like polygyny is not the best way for many people, polyandry is not the best way for many. It is those people's responsibility to explore things and manage their lives in a way pleasing to Allah. A man agreeing to enter a polyandrous marriage and a woman exercising polyandry should have physical and emotional traits accordingly, and that does not necessarily reflect the majority.
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